Machine for operating upon sheet material



Dec. 24, 1935.

H. SMITH MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHEET MATERIAL 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed April 3. 1954 Dec. 24, 1935. H. F. SMITH MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHEET MATERIAL Filed April 5. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MACHINE FOR OPERATING UPON SHEET MATERIAL Application April 3, 1934, Serial No. 718,868

19 Claims.

The present invention relates to machines for operating upon sheet material and is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine for forming and assemblingmoccasin upper parts, said machine, as illustrated, being especially adapted for forming and assembling the forepart member or vamp of an imitation moccasin upper and the toe piece or plug of such an upper preparatory to uniting these parts permanently, for example, by a sewn seam.

In assembling the toe piece and the vamp of a, moccasin upper it has been a usual practice to form a toe piece engaging flange on the marginal portion of the vamp adjacent to its concave edge, to form a vamp engaging flange on the marginal portion of the toe piece adjacent to its convex edge, to apply cement to the surfaces of said flanged portions which are to be brought into juxtaposition and then to assemble by hand the toe piece and the vamp and to press said flanged portions together by hand in order to cause the cement to secure them together temporarily until they are permanently united, for example, by a sewn seam.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a machine for use in the preparation of moccasin uppers for the usual shoe bottoming operations and, more particularly, to provide a machine for use in carrying out the procedure 30 above outlined. Advantages secured by the use of such machines include increased uniformity and improved quality of the work and substantial increase in production by relieving the operator of the slow and tedious hand operations involved in assembling the vamp and the toe piece and pressing their flanged portions together by hand.

A feature of the invention contemplates the provision, in a machine for operating upon sheet 40" material, of a work support, a flange former comprising a plate movable perpendicularly relatively to the work support, said plate having a flange forming edge face arranged in parallel relation to a flange forming edge face of the work support and constructed and arranged to cooperate with the flange forming edge face of said support to form a flange between said edge faces, and a work gage carried by the flange former and having its work gaging edge face 50 arranged in parallel relation to said edge faces of the flange former and the work support, said gage operating to measure a uniform width of the marginal portion of the WOIk when the appropriate edge of the work is brought into contact 55 with the gage.

In the application of the invention to the preparation of moccasin upper parts for assembly, another feature thereof contemplates the provision, in a machine for operating upon the toe piece and the vamp of a moccasin upper, of 5 a support for the toe piece, a support for the vamp, a flange former movable relatively to said supports, said flange former comprising a head provided with a flange forming plate constructed and arranged to operate on the vamp and provided With another flange forming plate constructed and arranged to operate on the tongue, and means for actuating said flange formers.

In the application of the invention to the assembly of the flanged toe piece and the flanged vamp of a moccasin upper, a further feature of the invention contemplates the provision, in a machine for assembling the toe piece and the vamp of a moccasin upper, of a member constructed and arranged to support a vamp provided with a marginal toe piece engaging flange and a member constructed and arranged to support a toe piece provided with a marginal vamp engaging flange, said supports being relatively movable to bring the toe piece and the vamp into assembled relation and to press said flanged margins together.

These and other features of the invention, including certain details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings and will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the features of the present invention showing 85 a vamp and a toe piece positioned on the work supports and arranged in contact with the work gages;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view illustrating particularly the work supports and the flange formers;

Fig. & is a detail side elevation of the head of the machine showing the flange formers in operative relation to the work after the flanges have been formed;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the head of the machine showing the arrangement of the operating instrumentalities at the end of the cycle of operations and showing the shoe parts in assembled relation; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of an imitation moccasin upper which has been assembled upon the head of the illustrated machine and stitched together part port I2.

way around the line of union of the vamp and the toe piece.

The present invention is illustrated in its application to the forming and assembling of certain parts of imitation moccasin uppers, namely, the vamp 88 (Fig. 6) and the toe piece 96. These parts, when united and then stitched to suitable quarters, form an upper which may be bottomed in any usual and convenient manner, for'example, as a Goodyear welt shoe or as a shoe of the McKay type, the vamp 68 being of a sufficient width to provide the appropriate lasting allowance.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral I6 indicates the table of the machine frame upon which is mounted a support I2 for the vamp 88 and a support I4 for the toe piece 90 of an imitation moo-- casin upper. vamp support has substantially the same contour as that portion of the margin of the vampwhich is. to be united to the tongue in, order to form the complete forepart of the upper. Similarly, the toe piece support I4 is provided with a convex edge face I8 which has substantially the same outline as the margin of the toe piece which is to be united to thevamp. Cooperating with the vamp support I2, there is provided a flange former 26 and cooperating with the toe piece support I4 there is provided a flange former 22, said flange formers, as shown in Fig. 3, being integral parts of a horizontal plate which is made rigid by longitudinal ribs 24 and a transverse rib 26. The flange former26 is provided with an edge face 2| having a contour which is the reverse of the contour of the edge face I6 .of the vamp sup- Saidedge faceslfi and 2|, when in operative relation, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4 are arranged in parallel relation to each other and spaced apart from each other a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the vamp in order to permit the formation of a flange between the vamp support and the flange former (Fig. 4)

Similarly, the flange former 22 has a wall 23' which, as shown in Fig. 3, is parallel to the edge.

face I8 of the toe piece support and is spaced from said edge face a distance substantially equal to the thickness of thetoe piece in order to permitthe formation of a flange in the toe piece between said wall and said'edge face. In order -to aiford a limited vertical movement of the rib 26. The shafts 28 are mounted within bearings formed in bosses 32 extending downwardly from opposite sides of the table II] and arranged to position the flangeformers to register with the work supports (Fig.3). Theflange former. unit is normally held retracted, as shown in Fig.

5," by two compression springs. 34 coiled about the shafts 28, respectively, the upper endof-each of said springs extending upwardly into. the superimposed boss 30 on the flange-formerunit (Fig;

"1), the shaft-receiving opening of whichhas its and the flange former 26, a gage member or plate arranged to extenchdownwardly fromthe The concave edge-face I6 of the In order to gagethe posiunder surface of the flange former 26, said gage member being provided with a work-gaging edge face 4|, arranged in parallel relation to the edge face 2I of the flange former and spaced inwardly therefrom a distance equal to the width of the 5 flange to be formed on the vamp. In order to centralize the toe piece transversely thereof upon the toe piece support I4 andv also to position the toe piece-lengthwise thereof upon its support in order that the margin of the toe piece projecting beyond the edge face I8 of its support may be uniform, a gage member or plate 42 is securedto the under surface of the flange former 22 (Fig. 2) and provided with an edge face 44 (Fig. 3) for gaging the position of the toe piece upon its support. The edge face 44, when the gage 42 is in operative position; is spaced from the edge face I8 of the toe piece support a distance substantially equal to the width of the flange which is to be formed in the toe piece. The flange former unit is actuated by a'treadle 46 (Fig. 1) through allink: 48 which connects the treadleto. a crosshead 56 (Fig. 2) connecting the lower ends of thesliding shafts 28 and rigidly secured thereto. be readily retained intheir respective work-gaging positions while thework is being arranged for the flangeforming operation, a pawl 52 is pivoted between upstanding ears 54 on the treadle 46 and arranged, when in operative position as 30 ranged for' movement toward the. vamp support- V I2 in. order to cause the vamp engaging flange formed on the toe piece to be brought into engagement with the toe piece engaging flange formed on the vamp. Preferably, a temporary union between the toe piece and the vamp is 45,

effected by means of adhesive, for example, latex adhesive or rubber cement applied to the appropriate marginal surface of each of the shoe parts before the parts are mounted upon the illustrated machine. withinits scope the provision of a permanent union. of the. shoe parts by pressing together thejuxtaposed marginal flanges. A permanent union may, for example, be effected by applying pyroxylin cement to the appropriate marginal surfaces of the workparts'prior to the operation of the present machine and then permitting the cement to dry. An activator, for example, acetone, is applied to one of the cemented surfaces either immediately preceding or immediately after the flange forming operation and the cemented surfaces are held-under substantial pressure for a sufficient time to create a permanent bond therebetween. In the illustrated machine, the assembly ofthe shoe parts is effected by a movement .of the toe piece support toward the vamp support and,.according1'y, the. vamp support I2 is fixed to the table! of the machine frame and the toe piece support I4 is secured to a carriage 62 which is herein illustrated as a slide arranged for movement from front to back of the machine. The carriage 62 travels in a substantially T- shaped guideway- 64 in thetable l0 (Fig-2) and. it issupported uponplates or gibs 66 secured to the under side of the table and arranged to'un- 15;

In order that the gages 46 and 42 may The pawl 35;

The invention also includes t derlie opposite marginal portions of the under surface of the carriage. In order to move the carriage 62 from its position in Fig. 1 to its position in Fig. 5 and thereby to bring the shoe parts into assembled relation to each other, a rack 68 is arranged to extend downwardly from the under surface of the carriage 62 and a gear 10 is secured to a cross shaft 12 (Fig. 2) and arranged to mesh with said rack. The gear 10 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Fig. 1 by depressing a treadle 14 which operates the gear 10 through a series of connections comprising a sprocket wheel 16, a chain 18 cooperating with said sprocket wheel and a rope or wire 80 secured to one end of the chain 18 and extending therefrom forwardly of the machine, over a pulley 82, and then downwardly to the treadle 14. After the cycle of operations is completed, the toe piece support I4 is returned to its initial position by a spring 84 secured to one end of the chain 18 and anchored to the machine frame. The return movement of the toe piece support is limited by the forward end of the carriage 62 engaging an abutment plate 86 (Fig. 2) secured to the machine table and arranged to locate the toe piece support in operative relation to the flange former 22.

The operation of the machine is as follows:- The treadle 46 is partially depressed in order to bring the work gages 40 and 42 into operative position, in which position they are retained by the pawl 52. A vamp 88 is then mounted with its flesh side uppermost upon the vamp support l2 and its inner edge face is brought into engagement with the gage plate 40. A toe piece-90 is mounted with its flesh side uppermost upon the toe piece suport I4 and brought into engagement with the gage plate 42. While the shoe parts are manually held upon the work supports, the treadle 46 is further depressed in order to cause the flange formers toengage the appropriate marginal portions of the work and bend them over upon the work supports in order to form marginal flanges therein. While the shoe parts are still held manually against the work supports, the operator releases the pressure on the treadle 46 thereby permitting the return of the flange forming unit to its initial position by the compression springs 34. In this position, as

shown in Fig. 5', the flange forming unit is elevated sufliciently to permit the toe piece support M to travel rearwardly without obstruction by the work gages. After the release of the flange former unit the operator depresses the treadle 14 in order to bring the toe piece support 14 into its position shown in Fig. 5 wherein the marginal flanges formed in the shoe parts are accurately brought together. The operator then applies to the treadle 14 a sufficiently heavy pressure to create a bond between the marginal flanges of the toe piece and the vamp which have been previously treated with adhesive. The treadle His then permitted to return to its initial position and the united shoe parts are then removed from the machine.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

-1. In a machine for operating upon sheet material, a work support, a flange former comprising a plate movable perpendicularly relatively to the work support, said plate having a flange forming edge face arranged in parallel relation to a flange forming edge face of the work support and constructed and arranged to cosupport, said flange former comprising a headslidably mounted in the machine frame and provided with a flange forming plate having a flange forming edge face arranged in parallel relation to a flange forming edge face of the work support, a work gage comprising a plate disposed in a horizontal plane beneath said flange forming plate and having its work gaging edge face arranged in parallel relation to the operative edge faces of the flange former and the work support, and means for holding the flange former in a position in which the flange forming plate is vertically spaced from the work support while the work gageis in operative position.

3. In a machine for operating upon sheet material, a work support and a flange former relatively movable in order to form a flange in the marginal portion of the work, a work gage carried by the flange former, means for supporting the flange former in an inoperative position,means for moving the flange former toward the work support, and means for positioning the flange former in a position in which said work gage is located in operative relation to the work while said flange former is vertically spaced from the work support.

4. In a machine for operating upon sheet material, a work support and a flange former relatively movable in order to form a flange in the marginal portion of the work, a work gage carried by the flange former, a yielding support for holding the flange former in an inoperative position, a treadle, connections from the treadle to the flange former whereby actuation of the treadle brings the flange former into operative position, and means associated with the treadle for positioning the flange former in a position in which the work gage is in operative position whilethe flange former is in an inoperative position.

5. In a machine for operating upon the toe piece and the vamp of an imitation moccasin upper, a support for the toe piece, a support for the vamp, a flange former movable relatively to said supports, said flange former comprising a head provided with a flange forming plate constructed and arranged to operate on the vamp and provided with another flange forming plate constructed and arranged to operate on the tongue, and means for actuating said flange former.

6. In a machine for operating upon the toe piece and the vamp of an imitation moccasin upper, a support for the toe piece, a support for the vamp, a flange former constructed and arranged to cooperate with the toe piece support in order to form in the toe piece a marginal vamp engaging flange, another flange former constructed and arranged to cooperate with the vamp support in order to form on the vamp .a marginal toe piece engaging flange, and a carrier for the flange formers movable perpendicularly relatively to the work supports.

'7. In a machine for operating upon-the toe piece and the vamp of an imitation moccasin upper, a support for the toe piece, a support for the vamnga flange ,formerconstructed andtarranged; to; cooperate "with the toe, piece support in: order toformcin thetoe. piece a marginal vamp engage ing; flan-geranother flange former constructed and, arranged :to "cooperatecwith'thevampsupport in... order to form on the vamp amarginalatoe piece engaging flange, work gages carried bythe flange formers, respectively, and acarrierfor the. flange formers.movableperpendicularlm'elatively to .the worksu-pport.

8.. In a. machine for operatingupon the toe pieoeand-the vampof animi-tationmoccasin upper, a support for the. toe'.piece,-. a support for. the-vamp,,a-.flange former constructed and arrangfidsto cooperatew-ith'the toe. piecesupport ini-order toform in the toe piece amarginal vamp.

en aging; flange; another flange former constructed and arranged to cooperate with the vamp.

supportzin order to.-form. onthe vamp a marginal toe. piece engaging flange, and aslidi-ng head constructed and arranged to carry the. flange formers;

9. In a machine for-operating; upon the toe piececand thefvamp of. an imitation. moccasin Upper, asupport forther toe piece, a support for the vamp,-.a flangeformer constructed and arranged-to cooperate with. the toe piece: support.

in order toform on the toepiece a marginal vamp engaging flange, another flange former constructed andarranged to cooperate withthe vamp support in-orderto form on'the-vamp; a marginal toe piece. engaging flange, and i a sliding 'head normally held retracted and constructed and arranged to carry theflange formers.

10. In a machine for assembling the toe pi'ece and: .the-: vamp: of an imitation moccasin upper,

asupport .for the toepiece, a support forthe vamp, a flange former constructed andarranged to. cooperate :withthe toe piece support in order to form on the toe piece a marginal vamp engaging-flange, and another flange former constructed and arranged to cooperatewith thevamp, support in order to form on the. vamp a marginal toe piece engaging flange, said toe piece support-'and'jsaid.

vamp support beingqrelatively movable to bring the toe-piece and. the vamp into assembled relation and topress said flanged margins together: 11. In a. machine for assemblingthe. toepiece.

and the vamp of an imitation moccasin upper, asupport for the toe piece, a supportforthe vamp havingitssupporting surface in a plane common tothesupportingsurface of the toe piecesupport, a flange former constructed and arranged to. co-

operate with the toev piece-support in-order to: form onithe toe piece a marginal vamp: engaging. flange,- and another; flange formerconstructed.

andarranged to cooperatewith the vamp support inorder, to form on the'vamp a marginal toe. piece.eengagingiflange, said toe piece support and said vamp support being constructed and::ar-. rangedfor relative movement in the plane of, their supporting surfaces in order to bringsaidflanged margins-together.

12. In aimachine--forassembling,;the toe: piece andthe vamp: of an imitation moccasinvupper; a support for the vamp, asupport forthetoe piece constructed and arranged for movement into-.and-from a position in which the toe piece and. thevamp are arranged'in assembled relation.to each other a -flange former constructedandyarranged to cooperate with the vamp :sup,-.

port in orderftolformon: the vampa marginal toe piece engaging'flangaand another flange former constructedand arranged. to cooperate, v the ltoe piece 'support.gin;.-.order.. tOrfQI'IH'. on;

the-,:toe piece a marginal vamp.engaging-: flange.

13.. In:..a.machine.for assembli-ng;the toeapiece.

and .:.the; vamp of J an imitation; moccasin upper, a;flxed support; for-the vamp, a supportfor: the

toe piece movable towardand-from the vamp. supportia-nclnormally held in aposition remote.

fromthe': vamp support, means for moving the toepiece support into .a-position in which the toe piece. and :the vamp; are arranged in assembled relation to each other, a flange former constructedand arranged to cooperate with thevamp sup-. port in .order to form" on the vamp. a marginal toe piece: engagingflange; and another, flange former.

constructed and arranged. to cooperate with the toe piece support in order. to form on the toepiece aemarginal vampyengaging flange.

14. In amach-ine for-assembling; the toe piece and-:the vamp of an: imitation moccasin upper, a.

member;constructedwand arranged .to support a.

vampprovided witha marginal toe piece. engag.-

ing, flange, and :a member constructed and ar-- ranged tosupport a toe piece provided with a engaging flange; and. a member constructed. and

arranged to support a toe piece provided with a marginal vamp. engaging flange, said toe piece. support-being movable relatively to the vamp' support'in orderqto-zbring said marginal flanges together.

16.. In;-.a machine for assembling the toepiece andthe vampof an imitation moccasin upper, a fixed support for the-vamp,.a support for the toe piece-movable toward and'irom the. vamp support, a flange former movable relatively to the vampsupportin order to form in-thevamp. a

marginal toe piece engaging flange, another flange former movable relatively-to the toe piece support in order toform in the toe piece amarginal vamp engaging flange, work gages extending downwardly from said flange formers, re--- spectivel-y, and a carrier for said flange formers constructed: and arranged to move the flange formersinto operative relationto saidsupports and.

toreturn them to a position remote from said supports in order to permit a movement of the toe piece support toward the vamp support whereby: the marginal, vampi engaging flange formed-in the toe piece is brought into engagement with the marginal toe piece engaging flange formed in the vamp.

17. In a machine for assemblingthe toe-piece and the vamp of an imitation moccasin upper, a fixed support for the-vamp, a support forthe toe piece movable towardand from. the vamp sup.-

port, a flange former movable relatively to the vamp support in order. to formin the vamp a marginal toe piece. engaging.v flange, another flange former movable relatively to the toe piece support in order to form in the-toe piece amar ginal vamp; engaging flange, work gagesextendingdownwardlyfrom said flange formers, respectively, a carrier :for said flange. formers .nor

mally arranged to support the flange formers in p a position wherein said work gages are located out of the path of movement of the toe piece support, and a latch for holding the carrier in a position wherein said work gages are located in operative relation to the work.

18. In a machine for assembling imitation moccasin Vamps and toe pieces, the combination of means for forming a flange on the marginal portion of the vamp adjacent to its concave edge, means for forming a flange on the marginal portion of the toe piece adjacent to its convex edge, means for simultaneously operating said flange forming means, and means for relatively moving the vamp and toe piece after the flanges are formed to press the flanges together.

19. In a machine for assembling an imitation moccasin vamp with its toe piece, the combination of means for simultaneously forming a flange on the marginal portion of the vamp adjacent to its concave edge and on the marginal portion of the toe piece adjacent to its convex edge, and means for relatively moving the toe piece and vamp to bring said flanges into contact with each other.

HOMER F. SMITH. 

